Over twenty years ago, Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs recognized a disturbing trend that many home fire fatalities were taking place in homes without working smoke alarms. So through the years, the two have worked together, along with thousands of fire departments nationwide, to help reduce this number by reminding communities to check and change their smoke alarm batteries and to make sure their smoke alarms are working.
So when you set your clocks forward on March 9th this year, make a life-saving change in your household—change and test the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors—and remind your friends, family and neighbors to do the same. Making sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in working order takes just a moment, but is the best defense your family has against the devastating effects of a home fire. Smoke alarms typically expire after 8-10 years. So if your alarm is more than 10 years old, it’s time to install a new one.
Safe Kids offers a smoke alarm/battery testing tracking sheet to keep track of your monthly checks. You can download it at our web site (www.safekidsgf.com) or contact us for a hard copy that we will mail to you.
For more information, contact Safe Kids Grand Forks at safekids@altru.org. Altru Health System is proud to serve as the lead agency for Safe Kids Grand Forks.
